Barran Press
On Tuesday, December 3, 2024, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Yemen announced the signing of a $2 million cooperation agreement with the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development aimed at improving operations at the ports of Aden and Mukalla.
According to a statement from the UNDP, the project seeks to enhance the capacity of both ports by rehabilitating damaged facilities and purchasing necessary equipment, thereby facilitating the delivery of humanitarian aid to Yemen, where more than half the population requires assistance and protection.
The statement highlighted that the ports of Aden and Mukalla have suffered significantly due to nearly a decade of conflict, resulting in maintenance shortfalls and decreased operational efficiency for incoming vessels.
The contribution from the Kuwait Fund, described as "generous," will assist in rehabilitating a tugboat at Mukalla port and replacing critical components of the ship docking platform in Aden. Furthermore, it will provide essential spare parts for operations at both ports, along with hydrographic training in Aden. Improvements in operations are expected to reduce monthly waiting times for incoming ships, ensuring timely delivery of essential humanitarian and commercial goods while lowering greenhouse gas emissions.
Abdullah Al-Dardari, UN Assistant Secretary-General and Director of the Regional Bureau for Arab States at UNDP, stated, "Through this partnership with the Kuwait Fund, we are enhancing Yemen’s port infrastructure to ensure the import of vital resources, addressing humanitarian needs, and contributing to food security and Yemen’s economic trajectory.”
Walid Shumlan Al-Bahr, Acting Director General of the Kuwait Fund, emphasized that the partnership is built on a long history of successful cooperation aimed at supporting communities in need throughout the region. He noted that many impactful projects addressing critical humanitarian and developmental challenges have been implemented together, and this initiative exemplifies their shared commitment.
The project aims to restore operations at the Aden and Mukalla ports to pre-conflict levels, with all initiatives being determined in consultation with Yemeni port authorities to ensure sustainable support directed at local needs.
Both ports are critical infrastructures that are essential for commercial and humanitarian activities in Yemen, particularly concerning food supply chains. As Yemen nears the brink of widespread famine, the timing of this restoration and enhancement process has become more crucial than ever.
From November 22 to December 4, 2020, the UNDP reported that Dutch experts from the Port of Rotterdam and Solid Port Solutions were dispatched to conduct an initial assessment to determine the minimum requirements for improving productivity and effective management at both ports.
The international experts concluded that an investment package of $49.59 million is needed ($21.56 million for Aden and $28.03 million for Mukalla) to maintain the current operational capacity of the ports and work towards restoring them to their pre-war conditions.